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3D Printing Filament Engineered From Recycled Plastic

Technology start-up Dimension Polymers, Chicago, has developed what is said to be the first ‘professionally engineered’ 3D printing filament made from recycled plastic. The company envisions that the innovation of a ‘sustainable’ 3D printing filament will have a significant impact on the fast growing additive manufacturing market.

Co-founders Gerald Galazin and Mark Sherman have worked extensively to create a sustainable filament solution that can reduce carbon emissions by 66%. The two have been refining their formula, which is based on recycled ABS, since the June 2014 launch of their firm. Following rounds of beta testing with industry stakeholders and manufacturers, they have refined the product and are ready to bring it to market. The co-founders launched a Kickstarter campaign earlier this month that will introduce their proprietary filament to the marketplace. They have already enjoyed brisk interest with 19 backers comprising 10% of their funding goal within the first 12 hours of the campaign.

The company has identified the most consistent and cleanest waste streams while partnering with recycling industry experts to ensure their product is stable and uses material that was already bound for landfills. They had their materials source vetted and certified for recycled content by SCS Global (national leader in sustainable and food product certification), which gave them the ‘green light’ to carry its esteemed Kingfisher Recycled Material Logo. Their U.S. manufacturing partner is reportedly an industry leader in filament for 3D printing, and the co-founders say they have a inked a partnership agreement that provides them with the capacity to manufacture and distribute enough filament to meet demand, as well as plans to expand as demand increases.

Dimension Polymers has also partnered with a local company to source their packaging, which it too is made of 100% recyclable material. In fact, they call it a ‘first-of-its-kind’ spool, it is in that it is made of chip board that it is recyclable in home or office recycle bins, vs. the majority of heavy plastic pools currently in use by major filament makers. The laminate and ink used for the company logo are also ecofriendly. Moreover, these spools are said to be sturdy to withstand heavy use, yet are over 50% lighter than traditional plastic spools, which translates to lower customer shipping costs.